History of Effile Tower

HISTORY OF EFFILE TOWER

The principle of application of phages against bacterial infections has been suggested by Canadian scientists Felix D’Herelle soon after their discovery in 1917. Already in 1920-ies and 1930-ies on the base of the Pasteur Institute D’Herelle managed to organise the small scale industry of phages for treatment of various pathogenic bacteria, amongst them against cholera. However, the flourishing development of antibiotics in 1940-ies declined the interest towards phage therapy. "Western scientists bundled bacteriophage therapy into dusty closets of history. " ("The Good Virus", Peter Radetsky, Discover, November, 1996)
Amongst passionate supporters and enthusiastic followers of D'Herelles ideas Georgian scientist George Elaiva has to be especially distinguished. D’Herelle and Eliava came across each other in the Pasteur Institute in Paris. They decide to settle down the World Centre for Phage Research in Tbilisi, Georgia, former Soviet Republic. Unfortunately, this intention was not realised basically because of the political situation of those times. George Eliava was arrested as "People’s Enemy" and soon executed. D’Herelle was bitterly deceived, his great plan was destined to fall.

In spite of tragic events the future generations of Georgian scientists did not abandon ideas and traditions founded by D’Herelle and Eliava. They have continued the researches in the direction of phage therapy. Throughout the whole history of the George Eliava Institute of Bactiophage huge practical experience has been gathered, numerous phage preparations have been elaborated, which were destined for medical use, particularly for treatment and prophylactic of bacterial diseases. The named phage preparations have been used in clinics for decades all-over the enormous territory of the former Soviet Union. However, the existing publications (mainly in Russian) did not reflect enough enormous success of the results obtained the during the long history of phage application in the former USSR, neither is possible to judge about these achievements on the base of patents, since the social system did not encourage promotion of creative initiatives. Firmness of the faith in phage therapy among the physicians, gratefulness of the patients, persistence of traditions have to be considered as solid argumentation for the development of phage therapy.
Continuous spread of drug-resistant bacteria and a number of negative consequences of antibiotic-therapy during the last decades arose the threat of possible downfall of the potential of antibiotics. Necessity of search for new alternatives for antibiotics is obvious. In this situation, it is the very time to recall in mind the folk wisdom : "The novelty is an innovation of the old lost things."

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